Anderson, who has no plans to play ball in college, and will attend the University of Minnesota on an academic scholarship, fanned 18. Conners' plans aren't determined, but some in the area consider him a Division II college possibility. He struck out 21.

So this is why the seventh day is for rest. On the same sixth day, the University of Texas' Austin Wood delivered 169 pitches in 12 1/3 no-hit innings of the Longhorns' 25-inning victory over Boston College.

Wood was taken in a later round of last year's First-Year Player Draft, and will again be a 2009 choice in next week's Draft. Anderson and Conners are not such prospects; no Major League team has dossiers on them.

Doesn't matter. They toe the rubber for the purity of the experience, unconditional joy.

As Anderson told the Grand Forks (N. D.) Herald afterwards, "It was the most fun I've ever had playing baseball."

No wonder. Told by his coach after leaving the mound in the top of the 13th that his day had ended, Anderson made sure the game would, too.

He hadn't gone that far for a no-decision: With two outs in the bottom of the 13th, he struck a two-run, walk-off home run -- only his second of the season.

"Just icing on the cake," Anderson said, and speaking of icing ...

"I had some pretty good advice from one of the coaches to ice [my arm] for two hours," Anderson recalled on Tuesday, while preparing for the next game.

He also told the Herald, "I haven't thrown any yet. I have practice right now, though, and we'll see how that goes."

Anderson's father, Paul, appeared even more exhausted by Saturday's game in Warroad, too worn out to even rejoice over his son's game-winner.